The proper "default" or between-use positioning of the common toilet seat is a matter that leads to domestic non-tranquility. Men commonly leave the seat up after use. Women generally prefer to find it down when they go to use the toilet. Whatever the psychological or cultural causes of this commonly-occurring difference of opinion, there has been long recognized a need for an automatic seat closure or lowerer so that men may leave the seat up and women find it down.
While some early privies provided for automatic closure of tight-fitting lids (E.g., German Patent 72,094, 1892, stepping off a floor board in front of privy lowers lid; German Patent 203,966, 1908; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,117,663, opening door to privy lowers lid), many modern suggestions exist for flush toilets which use the act of flushing to lower the lid. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,058,216; 4,914,757; 4,433,442; and 3,781,924. As far as applicant is aware, none of these suggestions have met with commercial success and, despite the great desirability for such a device, there is no automatic toilet seat closure in common commercial use in this country.
The reasons for this are believed to be the complex and unsightly nature of the prior suggestions, such as those of the U.S. patent references mentioned above. There, therefore, still exists a need for an automatic flush seat closure which is easy to make, install, use, and has an installed appearance which is not unsightly.